Marcia Bates describes berrypicking - a model of searching online information systems based on evolving searches and different search strategies.
Traditional models expect a user to define a machine-friendly query to search a set of document representations using a controlled vocabulary. If the query doesn't return suitable results, it is refined. The same strategy and the same search target persist throughout the search.
In reality, people use different search techniques at different times, often moving from one to another during a single search, following leads in a non-linear fashion. At the same time, the person's understanding of what they are searching for changes and new avenues may be explored. Hence the field of search, the search terms, the strategy and even the target of the search may evolve throughout the search process.
Bates describes six approaches to searching (including the traditional model) and explores some of their implications for more responsive search technologies and interfaces.
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